Heart of the Reich
by KonigstigerAce334
Summary: 11 months after the events of Cold Steel, Maho returns to the battlefield where Soviet and German troops clashed, in an attempt to find some closure. However, in a twist of fate, another storm transports her back to April 1945, in the death throes of the Third Reich. As she and her tank crew fight to survive the final battle of Berlin, a familiar face is discovered among the chaos.
1. Prolouge

**Ladies and gentlemen, I'm back with the second installment of _Cold Steel_! I don't know how long this one will be, but I hope you enjoy it just as much if not more!**

 **Also, I have plans to release some 'one-shots' that could have been made chapters in _Cold Steel_. Whether or not I'll follow through on those plans, I have yet to determine.**

 **And, without further ado, I present to you: _Heart of the Reich._**

* * *

 **Prologue**

" _The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier that must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."_

-Douglas MacArthur

 _ **Hauptmann**_ **Gerhard Köln**

 **German 12th Army, XX Corps**

 **2nd Infantry Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment**

 **Potsdam, Berlin, Germany**

 **3,6 kilometers from the River Elbe, 2nd IB Camp**

 **26 April 1945**

 **0138 hours**

" _Incoming!"_

 _Gerhard dove into the nearest trench as Soviet heavy artillery began pounding their positions, wrecking the final line of defence of Seelöwe Heights. Gerhard looked to the commander, who nodded his head._

" _All units! Prepare-"_

 _The commander was cut short as a burst of machine-gun fire tore through him, spraying Gerhard with blood. On a nearby ridge, a three Soviet T-34/85s sat in wait as infantry gathered around them. He blinked, momentarily paralysed, before another soldier pulled him down, cursing._

" _What do we do, sir?!"_

 _Gerhard looked up in surprise as multiple heads turned to him. If they fought here, no one would survive. However, there was a good chance at least half of the remaining men, no more than a platoon, would survive if they broke from the trenches to escape._

 _Looking again at the mostly young, frightened young men before him, Gerhard made up his mind. "How many of you have smoke grenades?"_

 _A few men raised their hands, while some others retrieved said grenades from their belts. Gerhard nodded. "On my count, we run for the trucks...do not stop for anything." In the momentary silence that followed, Gerhard looked up, suddenly remembering his promise..._

* * *

" _I'll take that as a yes."_

 _Maho grinned as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again. Gerhard sat there, stupefied for a few moments, before his brain connected the dots and he reciprocated. The couple stood in the snow, the wind buffeting them as they kissed. Finally, the two broke off, and Gerhard remembered Nicole was still there, watching with an amused grin on her face. "Right."_

* * *

 _Gerhard watched as the men began to get to work, scavenging supplies from the dead forms of both Soviet and German troops. The cold air blew into his face as he looked up at the moon and stars, lighting up the night sky. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing himself to think he was back in the future, and Maho would appear any moment. When he opened his eyes, though, everything was the same._

' _I plan to keep my promise, Maho. One way or another, I will find you again and tell you everything I should have. With God as my witness, I will be reunited with you once more.'_

Gerhard snapped awake, instinctively grabbing his knife from under his pack. Seeing and hearing no immediate threat, he relaxed slightly, setting the knife aside. Reaching into his backpack, he dug out a small bracelet with numerous charms on it. On the inside, the slightly worn metal read ' _N. Maho_ '; the only memory he had of the Kuromorimine commander with whom he'd fallen in love with.

He sighed as he listened to the sounds of distant combat; from the sounds of it, he'd slept through another bombing raid; air raid sirens were sounding from the direction of the centre of Berlin, and the occasional burst of anti-aircraft fire could be heard.

Turning his attention back to the bracelet, he observed all the charms Maho had put on it. As he went, he became more engaged in his thoughts, thinking back to those few days he had been in Japan. ' _I miss you Maho. If only things were different…'_

" _Hauptmann_ Köln!"

Gerhard immediately came out of his thoughts, closing his hand on the bracelet as he identified the voice. "What is it, Bernard?"

"I was instructed to inform you there will be a meeting at noon tomorrow in the command tent. General Wenck is to be present and he requests that all officers are there." There were a few moments of silence as Gerhard waited for the boy to go on. "That's all sir."

Gerhard sighed. "Very well, Bernard. Carry on."

"Yes sir!"

The former _Lüftwaffe_ pilot listened to the footsteps of the young soldier fade before laying back down, returning to observing Maho's bracelet. After a moment's hesitation, he opened it and put it around his left wrist, where it barely fit. ' _Either I have a small wrist or she has a large one.'_ he thought to himself with a small grin.

With thoughts of the future on his mind, Gerhard turned over and closed his eyes again, swiftly falling asleep. Just outside the canvas walls of his tent, however, the sounds of battle echoed in the night as Berlin burned with the fury of the Red Army.

* * *

 **Here we go again...tell me what you think, and don't forget to follow to keep updated!**


	2. Chapter 1: The 9th Army Arrives

**Back again with the first 'real' chapter of Heart of the Reich. I don't know about you folks, but it feels like it's been an age since I last updated (perhaps it has).**

 **I would like to point out to some certain people (you know who you are): I'm am extremely honoured you have approached me to review your work, and apologise for wasting time getting around to it. However, with this chapter done, I have some free time to fulfill your requests. Thank you for offering me to look at your work.**

 **One more thing...there is an important update on my profile page (marked 'Important Update)...you may want to read it.**

 **Anyhow, on with Chapter 1!**

* * *

 **Chapter I: The 9th Army Arrives**

" _The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."-_ G.K. Chesterton

 _ **Hauptmann**_ **Gerhard Köln**

 **German 12th Army, XX Corps**

 **2nd Inf. Bat., 3rd Inf. Reg.**

 **Potsdam, Berlin, Germany**

 **3,6 kilometres from the River Elbe, 2nd IB Camp**

 **26 April 1945**

 **0631 hours**

Gerhard groaned as he opened his eyes, the light of the rising sun blinding him as he struggled to get his bearings. The sounds of battle seemed to have died down over the past few hours, and all the former _Lüftwaffe_ pilot could hear was the sound of men outside the tent as the next day began.

Blinking the white spots out of his eyes, Gerhard gathered up his equipment and crawled outside his tent. All around the camp, the forms of weary troops, both from the _Heer_ and the local _Volkssturm_ , moved around the encampment as they tried to get to their destinations. Hardly anyone talked to one another, and if they did, it was in one-on-one conversations with hushed tones. With the Soviets on the threshold of the seat of German power, it was expected that the morale of any German, soldier or not, would be low.

' _And yet, we all still manage to keep fighting, somehow.'_ the _hauptmann_ thought as he crossed the centre of the camp, heading towards the kitchen. Finding a can of rations, Gerhard walked back to his squad's area and sat down, opening the rations with his knife and digging in.

As he sat there eating, the pilot realised he still had Maho's bracelet on; pausing from his meal for a moment, he looked again at the bracelet's charms as he had done so many times over the past three years. The metal, once well-polished and bright, had grown dull and dirty throughout the many days of fighting it had been a part of. In one place, one of the links stood out noticeably from the rest; a slightly newer addition from the time the chain had, somehow and miraculously, taken and deflected a bullet from a Soviet rifle. However, for the most part, the bracelet had managed to survive the beating that the pilot-turned-soldier had put it through.

Sighing and shaking his head, Gerhard returned to his sparse meal, scraping the bottom of the can with his spoon. His meal complete, he tossed the can aside into the makeshift trash pile that the remnants of the second battalion had been building up during their stay. Standing and stretching, Gerhard picked up a few more cans of rations and began the walk back to his squad's area, keeping a watchful eye out; the Soviet Air Force had been making regular aerial attacks the past few weeks on any known German position. Thankfully, his unit seemed to have been relatively ignored by the Soviet Ilyushin attack planes, though the _hauptmann_ had learned not to take anything for granted.

Entering his squad's camp, Gerhard saw that the rest of the squad had woken up and were sitting around the fire in the centre of their tents, silently watching the flames dance in front of them. Gunther Schneider, the oldest man in the squad and Gerhard's second-in-command, looked up as the _hauptmann_ took a seat . "Breakfast."

The others looked away from the flames as Gerhard tossed the extra cans of rations to his men. For a moment, everything seemed to disappear as the men ate. Hans Lehmann, another one of the older men in the squad, at only 28, looked away from his meal and smiled. "Is shit-flavoured the only one they had, _kommandant_?"

The others chuckled as Gerhard smiled, looking east towards central Berlin. The city was shrouded in smoke and flames, and the faint booming of artillery impacts could be heard echoing off the buildings left standing. "Pretty much, Hans."

"What's the plan for today sir?" Bernard Seidel, a _Volkssturm_ recruit, asked. The boy was no more than 16 years of age, and it pained the former pilot to see him carrying his rifle with a distant look in his eyes; it reminded him far too much of the young girls he had met in Japan.

" _Kommandant!_ "

Gerhard shook his head as Gunther's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking to the sergeant, the _hauptmann_ nodded slightly in thanks and returned to the world around him. "We are to remain here until we receive orders. General Wenck is going to be here today to meet with the officers and presumably relay those orders." The men groaned in annoyance; after being here for two weeks while other units were sent out to battle the approaching Soviet forces. Even though it was almost certainly a suicide mission, every soldier in the whole of second battalion agreed that they would much prefer the option of dying defending Berlin and their people as opposed to doing nothing as the capital of Germany was razed.

"Well…" Gunther said, standing up. The _stabsfeldwebel_ picked up his rifle and slung it over his back. "I'm going to head over to the other tents, see if there's anything to do."

The other squad members nodded and began to move once more, each man returning to their tent to begin their day. Gerhard looked to the west, where storm clouds were gathering as they moved towards Berlin. ' _Even the weather seems to be against us._ '

"Nasty clouds, eh sir?" Hans commented as he put a few things in his pack. Gerhard nodded, looking away from the skyline to the _obergefreiter_ , a faint smile on his face.

"If anything, Hans, the rain will keep those ' _Schlächten_ ' off of us for a few days." Gerhard replied. The lance corporal grunted in presumed agreement as he shouldered his pack and began walking. However, he stopped, looking up. "Do you hear that?"

Raising an eyebrow, Gerhard strained his ears; it sounded like there were shouts of alarm coming from the far side of the camp. Looking to the other men, Gerhard whistled and snapped his fingers. In seconds, the seven men were on their feet with weapons in hand. Picking up his own StG 44, Gerhard led his squad towards the commotion, the men preparing for whatever they would find.

* * *

 _ **General der Infanterie**_ **Theodor Busse**

 **German 9th Army**

 **Potsdam, Berlin, Germany**

 **3,6 km from the River Elbe, 2d IB Camp**

 **0702 hours**

Theodor groaned as he kept walking towards the lines of tents in front of him. He heard the men around him shuffling as they tried to keep some semblance of order in their ranks. Somewhere behind him, the squealing of treads continued as the few remaining halftracks pushed through the thick mud of the fields. ' _How far the mighty have fallen. A general brought to his knees and his army in rags._ '

The general was brought out of his thoughts by someone shaking his shoulder roughly. " _Kommandant_...look."

Busse looked up to where the young private was pointing, and his eyes met with a promising sight...German soldiers, in uniforms just as beat and worn as his own, were running out of the camp to meet his men. The new arrivals shouted to the men behind them, calling for medics and vehicles as they realised the state of the remnants of the Ninth Army.

' _Mien Gott...thank you for listening_.' the general thought as he looked up into the sky. He made the sign of the cross over his chest and looked down just in time to see a few men confront him, spreading out to see what they could do to help as a _hauptmann_ walked up, a worried look in his eyes as he saluted. " _General_ Busse?"

The general snorted at the tone of disbelief that was in the young man's voice. " _Hallo_ , _hauptmann._ And yes, it is me." Gathering his strength, the man straightened his body and smartly returned the _hauptmann_ 's salute.

Dropping his hand, the captain watched as a halftrack, haphazardly painted with a red cross to mark it for medical use, rolled by. Returning his gaze to the general, the man continued. "Gerhard Köln, sir. What is it that you need?"

Sighing, the general looked down. "I say we start with attention for the wounded and food and water for the rest. If you can spare any, we could use some trucks for the men...we've walked here from Halbe…" Busse trailed off as he shifted his weight to his other foot.

The _hauptmann_ in front of him looked beyond the general, presumably at the lines of infantry stumbling towards Potsdam. "How many men do you have?"

Theodor sighed, thinking back to the fierce battle the Ninth had fought in order to break out of the Halbe pocket and the many they had lost. "No more than two thousand men total, most of which are wounded. We are no longer a fighting force; we have no ammunition, no fuel reserves, and only a handful of medical supplies. There were more men, but they've all broken off or been killed."

The _hauptmann_ nodded in understanding. "Very well, sir. Come with me and I'll take you to command." Gerhard whistled and another soldier came over, retrieving Theodor's items as the _hauptmann_ supported the general.

As the three men began to slowly make their way back to the camp of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, far away, the distant storm rumbled as it slowly moved towards the besieged city of Berlin.

* * *

 **'** **Schlächten' - 'Butcher', one of the many German nicknames for the IL-2 Sturmovik**

 **Another relatively short chapter by my standards, and a bit slow and probably boring. I had a bit of writer's block as well as a lot of business to take care of. Now, though, I can get on fulfilling those requests!**

 **One more thing: I'm looking for three or four more German OCs to flesh out Gerhard's squad...if you want, feel free to PM me with the details. Keep in mind that, this being the final days of Berlin, you can have people as young as 12, though they may not see much fighting.**

 **Until next time, folks! I'll try to disregard the writer's block this next chapter.**

 **KTA334**


	3. Chapter 2: Preparing for Battle

**Sorry about the longer than usual wait, folks...I've had a lot of trouble having ideas for the story, especially on how to best introduce the fair amount of OCs I received from everyone (Thank you all who contributed; it was a great help.) To let you know, the ones not introduced in this chapter here will show up in the next chapter, upon which work has already started.**

 **It's a bit of a high goal to set, but I hope to get you the next chapter before this time next week, and continue a schedule like that if possible; as I've said though, I prefer quality over quantity. Anyhow, I'll let you start reading...I hope this chapter, though short, is worth the wait.**

* * *

 **Chapter II: Preparing for Battle**

" _Comrades, you've got to go in once more. It's not about Berlin any more, it's not about the Reich any more._ " - General Walther Wenck

 _ **Hauptmann**_ **Gerhard Köln**

 **German 12th Army, XX Corps**

 **2nd Inf. Bat., 3rd Inf. Reg.**

 **3,6 kilometres from the River Elbe, 2nd IB Camp**

 **26 April 1945**

 **0903 hours**

Gerhard looked around as one of the battalion's surviving _Opel Blitz_ trucks drove by, throwing dirt into the air as it transported wounded soldiers from the 9th Army to the medic tents. He watched the truck swerve around the blackened hulk of a Panzer IV, then heard the brakes screech as the driver brought the truck to a halt. Sighing, he returned to cleaning his _sturmgewehr_ , scrubbing the bolt clean of the dirt and powder that had accumulated on it over the past few weeks.

"What's wrong, _herr_?"

The _hauptmann_ looked up again to see Ella Krazer, one of the _Volkssturm_ conscripts that he had taken under his command, walking up behind him with a paper in her hand. The young girl had lost both her mother and father to the Soviets as the Red Army stormed through the entirety of eastern Germany towards Berlin, razing everything in their path. He and the other members of the squad had found her hiding amongst the fallen in Kleinmachnow, before the Second Battalion had pulled out to sit off the River Elbe.

"Nothing much." Gerhard replied, beginning to reassemble his rifle. "I just doubt we have enough medical supplies to help even our own wounded, let alone those from the 9th Army."

The 17-year old girl nodded in understanding, then held out the piece of paper in her hand. "This is from General Wenck...the time for the officer's meeting was moved up."

"To when?" Gerhard asked, taking the paper and glancing it over.

"He said be there in ten minutes."

Gerhard sighed and shook his head. ' _Some time would have been welcome...it's not like we don't have a lot of time right now._ ' "Very well, Ella." he said as he continued piecing the StG-44 back together. Once he finished, he slung the rifle over his shoulder and retrieved his helmet from where it had fallen into the dirt. "Head back to the squad and tell them I'll be some time. Make sure that you and the others get something to eat."

" _Jawhol, herr!_ " the young woman replied, raising her hand in a salute, to which Gerhard wearily returned. He watched as Ella jogged back through the camp and disappeared, leaving him watching the spot where she had vanished until a distant rumble brought him out of his thoughts,

Shaking his head, Gerhard grabbed the strap on his weapon and began walking towards the headquarters, readying himself for whatever orders he and the other men were about to receive.

* * *

"Thank you all for coming early today." General Wenck, the commander of the entire 12th Army, started as Gerhard and the others gathered around the table listened. "I apologise for the inconveniences it may cause, but after meeting with General Busse today, I feel that my plans need to be put into action as soon as possible if we are to succeed."

There was some murmuring around the table as the men, Gerhard included, looked to each other, expecting that _der Führer_ had handed out some impossible orders from the depths of his bunker, where he'd been cowering ever since the beginning of the year.

Wenck waited for the talk to quiet down, then continued. "We have received orders from Hitler that we are to attack the Soviet Army's First Belorussian Front, under command of General Zhukov, as the unit that was originally ordered to has been given permission to retreat."

Before the general had even finished, protests were being raised as the officers in the room rioted against the obvious suicide mission. For the unsupplied and demoralised 12th and 9th armies to attack what made up the elite force of the Red Army attacking Berlin would only result in the pointless loss of what probably made up nearly a quarter of Germany's remaining armed forces. Once again, General Wenck waited for the commotion to quiet down before continuing his brief.

"As I expected you to think, I also believe that these orders are impossible for us to complete successfully." The general looked to his aide momentarily, then turned back to the conference table before him as the remaining officers of both the Twelfth and Ninth armies waited for the general's next words.

Taking a deep breath, the general looked down at the table as he began. "I have, together with General Busse of the Ninth Army, decided to ignore the orders of Adolf Hitler and begin an evacuation of Berlin."

The tent was silent as the gathered officers showed a variety of expressions, from shock at the bold move Wenck was taking, to relief and eagerness of the upcoming operation. No objections were made as the general looked around at his men.

"I wish to counterattack towards the city centre of Berlin, which will open up a corridor in the weaker Soviet forces surrounding the Reichstag. As the strongest unit remaining this side of the Elbe, we will maintain the corridor and evacuate civilians and any armed forces across the Tangermünde bridge to the north, where we will surrender to the Allies." Most of the men around the table, Gerhard included, nodded in agreement with the general's words.

General Wenck straightened, looking each of his remaining officers in the eye. "Gentlemen, many of you have been part of this army since the war's beginning. You have seen a number of victories, and even more defeats. I think we all know that this will be one of the most trying challenges yet, however, and therefore I ask you to remain vigilant and steadfast in your fight against the enemy. Our ultimate task is not our own survival in this battle, but the survival of our families, our neighbors. As such, we will evacuate ourselves only at the end of the operation."

General Wenck looked around as though waiting for any comments; upon receiving none, he nodded. "Very well. Each of you may return to your units...prepare for battle. We will move out tomorrow towards the city centre. Good luck to each and every one of you, and your soldiers."

Gerhard stood with the other men as they snapped to attention, whereupon they saluted their commanding officer with vigor, as though they were a fresh unit just out of training. General Wenck paused, looking at the officers' display of loyalty. Slowly, he returned the salute, maintaining it for a few silent moments before releasing it. Then, without a word, Generals Wenck and Busse, accompanied by a few men, exit the tent as the gathered officers dispersed to give their squads the news.

* * *

 **Maho Nishizumi**

 **Kuromorimine Girls' High School**

 **Abashiri, Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido**

 **12 November 2025**

 **0600 hours**

Maho stood outside of the Pravda Girls' High School entrance, waiting for a response from the doorperson inside as the wind outside howled. She looked around the quiet street, seeing only a few early-morning risers walking down the sidewalks on their way to work, most wearing heavy coats to protect them from the weather.

Suddenly, the sound of shifting locks turned the young girl's head back to the entrance as an older man opened the door, looking up at Maho briefly, smiling as his eyes lit up with recognition. "Miss Nishizumi! Good to see you again; come in, come in."

"Thank you very much, Mister Kojima." Maho said as she entered. The heavy wooden door thudded shut as she took off her jacket and turned to face the elderly doorman.

"Miss Katyusha is waiting for you in the greatroom, Miss Nishizumi." Mister Kojima said as he slowly shuffled back to his seat in front of the television; on it was a rerun of _Knight Scoop_ , which seemed to be a favourite of the old man.

"Thank you again, sir." Maho replied. She turned and began walking down the silent passage towards the Pravda greatroom, her footsteps echoing as she went. Upon reaching the door to the room, Maho knocked on the door twice.

"Come in."

Maho opened the door to see Katyusha and Nonna both sitting, watching her as she came in. Shutting the door behind her, the commander of the Kuromorimine _Panzerfahren_ team, walked across the room and sat at the table with the two Pravda officers. An awkward silence followed as Maho, presumably along with Katyusha and Nonna, thought about the last time they had been together at this table.

"Good to see you've made it safely." Katyusha said, absent of her usual asperity. She shifted in her seat, then asked "Would you like anything to drink? Tea, perhaps? Or coffee?"

"Yes; tea, please." Maho replied. As Nonna stood and began preparing the tea, Katyusha began speaking again. "So, do you have a date for when we will begin our match?"

Maho raised an eyebrow...it seemed as though Katyusha was trying to avoid the events that transpired at the start of the year, though the young girl couldn't blame her colleague for doing so. Rather than questioning it, Maho replied "I would like a few days to go and scout the area, if you wouldn't mind."

"Why do you need to-" Katyusha was cut off by the reappearance of Nonna, who handed Maho her tea. Maho just barely caught the brief, pointed look that the quiet Pravda sub-commander gave her superior as she returned to her side, which caused Katyusha to clear her throat before speaking up again. "I mean, we don't mind. Be sure not to take too long however. I would like to start by Friday, if possible."

"That will be more than enough time for us to unload our vehicles and prepare them for battle." Maho said, taking a moment to drink from her cup. "In the meantime, I will take my crew and head up to the training grounds tomorrow."

"Be careful." Nonna said, breaking her silence. "The forecast is showing some poor weather moving in again...apparently they expect it to be as bad as the storms in January."

Maho thought on that information for a moment, more than a few ideas going through her mind. Upon realising that she was being silent a little too long, however, she coughed and stood, finishing her tea and setting the empty cup on the table. "Thank you very much for that, both of you. I will go relay the information to my mother and the rest of the team."

Katyusha and Nonna both dipped their heads in response as Maho left the greatroom. After she shut the door, she leaned up against the wall, thinking about what Nonna had said about the upcoming weather storm...even if it was just for a moment, it had given her a flicker of hope. She drew out an Iron Cross...the one she'd received from Gerhard when she'd given him her bracelet. According to the pilot, he was sure he'd get another one within a week, as Iron Crosses were, to him, 'easier to get than a fresh pair of socks' on the Eastern Front.

Smiling for a moment, Maho tightened her grip on the German medal as she remembered the last words Gerhard spoke to her before he boarded the _Luftwaffe_ scout plane what seemed like ages ago. She stood there for a few minutes, recalling her fonder memories of the German pilot, until a sound down the dark hallway brought her out of her thoughts. She stowed the medal away in her pocket and donned her jacket again, heading back the way she came, thoughts of Gerhard and the information Nonna had mentioned flying through her mind.

* * *

 **Credit to delta2177 for the character of _Volkssturmmann_ Ella Krazer...I hope I did her justice.**

 **Chapters should get longer now that the ball is starting to roll...and remember folks, leave a review to tell me your opinion.**

 **(Historical Note: What is said here by General Wenck actually happened, if somewhat off from the actual events. An SS army, which had a fair amount of soldiers and equipment remaining, was originally given the order to attack General Zhukov's First Guards Army, the Soviet vanguard force. However, the commander of the army appealed to Hitler to not be given the task, and Hitler decided to instead transfer the responsibility to the severely understrength 12th and 9th Armies...Wenck disobeyed direct orders from Hitler to carry out the evacuation of Berlin.)**


	4. Chapter III: Moving Out

**Hello again, readers! Sorry for this long wait...I know what I said about trying for a chapter a week, but that won't happen with how busy I've been recently. Hopefully I'll get some more time, but my date to leave for basic training is close approaching, meaning I don't have as much time left as I'd like.**

 **I do hope you all enjoy this chapter. As a warning for the future, there will be a fair amount of combat in the following chapters, and I can't promise I'll keep it too clean. Hopefully I won't get flagged for having too low of a rating, but if I do, all my chapters are backed up, so I can repost the story under it's proper rating if needed.**

 **Thank you all for sticking with me, and especially those of you who keep in contact with me from time to time through the PM system. Now, on with the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter III: Moving Out**

" _Do what is right, not what you think the high headquarters wants or what you think will make you look good._ "

-General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.

 _ **Hauptmann**_ **Gerhard Köln**

 **German 12th Army, XX Corps**

 **2nd Inf. Bat., 3rd Inf. Reg.**

 **3,6 kilometres from the River Elbe, 2nd IB Camp**

 **26 April 1945**

 **1031 hours**

"Look out!"

Gerhard jumped to the side of the dirt road as a group of medics ran by, carrying three soldiers on stretchers. Behind them, four more riflemen jogged to keep up, presumably part of the same squad. He watched them go for a few moments, before continuing to make his way towards his squad's camp.

A few minutes later, he came upon his squad's camp to see Ella crouching over a fire with _Gruppenfuhrer_ Amelia Belts, another _Volkssturm_ recruit that had transferred to the standard Wehrmacht and was assigned to Gerhard's squad only two weeks ago. She and Ella were nearly inseparable, being nearly the same age. In fact, the two girls looked very similar as well; Gerhard could only tell them apart by eye colour; hazel for Ella, and a dark brown for Amelia.

When the two young girls noticed their squad leader, they stood briefly before Gerhard motioned for them to relax. "Where are the others?" he asked, noting the fact that Ella was stirring something in a pot. ' _Hopefully some coffee._ '

"Gunther and Hans are out looking for some toilet paper." Amelia said, throwing something into the pot. "We've almost run out."

"Leopold and Nikolas are still sleeping." Ella added, motioning towards the two younger mens' tents; indeed, the tents both had a pair of boots sticking out under the flaps. Gerhard sighed, looking down and closing his eyes.

"One moment." Gerhard walked over to the tents, kicking the two pairs of boots. "Up! I'm not repeating myself." The _hauptmann_ walked back towards the fire to see Gunther and Hans had arrived and were handing out rolls of their catch. Gunther tossed a roll to Gerhard, who deftly caught it. "Thanks."

Gunther just grinned, then poured himself a cup of whatever it was Ella had made. Gerhard remained where he was, looking upon his squad as they ate and exchanged jokes despite the overall situation. Most especially, he watched Amelia, who reminded him so much of Maho with her looks. The girl looked up briefly to see her commander watching her, smiled briefly, then returned to helping Ella hand out servings to some other squads that had come by.

" _Ja, kommandant?_ "

Gerhard started, reaching for his sidearm briefly before remembering where he was. He turned to see Leopold shouldering his pack. The boy was wearing his railman's cap as always, and his scoped rifle was in his hands. As was typical, his hair was much longer than most officers would ever allow, but times being as they were, Gerhard didn't care one way or another. That, combined with the boy's rather impressive facial hair, disguised his young age; the boy was no more than 17 years old.

"Go sit by the fire." Gerhard said. "I have something to tell you all. Important." Leopold nodded and walked over to join the others, retrieving his cup and partaking in the meal. Gerhard turned and walked back to the tents, where Nikolas was getting ready.

"I overheard sir." the young man said as he picked up his submachine gun. As Gerhard watched, he took his pack of smokes out and lit one up, puffing on it briefly before returning to his duties. "I'll be over briefly."

"Be quick then." Gerhard said. As he said it, a breeze blew up, and with it, Gerhard felt a raindrop hit his face. Looking up into the grey sky, the _hauptmann_ heard the rumble of thunder nearby as the storm brewed. A voice nearby commented on the weather sourly, bringing a slight grin to the soldier's tired face.

"Sir, if I may ask, does this news have anything to do with us going anywhere?"

Gerhard looked to Nikolas, who had finished putting himself together. The boy's combination of brown hair and blue eyes was a little startling, even after Gerhard had been his commander for nearly a year. Unlike most of the other members, Nikolas had signed up willingly for the Wehrmacht in 1944, after the Allies had invaded Normandy. "I'll tell you when we're all together."

With that, the two soldiers walked into the centre of their camp, where the others were scraping their dishes clean of Ella and Amelia's lunch. Gerhard and Nikolas both took some, then sat down. "What is this?" Nikolas asked as he proceeded to blow on the steaming liquid.

"Tomato soup, with some of the herbs I picked up in Mittenwald." Ella said as she put some more in her cup. "What do you think?"

Nikolas grunted, unable to respond as he was busy spooning the food into his mouth. Gerhard smiled with the others at his behaviour, then began eating. For the next few minutes, Seventh Squad ate their brunch as raindrops slowly dropped, almost lazily, causing the fire to hiss occasionally and making the warm food taste all the better.

"So, Gerhard…" Gunther said, setting aside his bowl and taking a swig of water. "What is it that you needed us to know?"

Gerhard looked over at his second-in-command as the rest of the squad paused and looked at their commander. He thought briefly on how to distribute the news, then began speaking. "The _führer_ has given the Twelfth and Ninth Armies a direct order to attack the Soviet First Belorussian Front as they advance on the centre of Berlin, in an attempt to drive back the Soviets and, in his mind, begin a counteroffensive to push them out of Germany."

There was silence amongst his squad as Gerhard waited for any comments. The three veterans; Gunther, Hans, and Nikolas, looked at the _hauptmann_ in disbelief, likely wondering how even a madman could see such a move as successful. The other three looked at each other briefly, as if seeing if the others heard the same thing, then looked back to Gerhard.

With no comments, the captain continued. "However, despite the fact that these orders have come directly from the _Führerbunker_ , General Wenck called a meeting of the officers from both the Ninth and Twelfth Armies and told us he wishes to complete a different task." As he said those words, Gerhard noted that his squad's faces turned from disbelief to intrigue...a high-ranking officer disobeying direct orders from Hitler, much less one who was in the _führer_ 's favour, was an interesting development.

"Starting at noon, the Twelfth Army is going to be moving towards Berlin, where we will open a corridor for any civilians or soldiers to escape to the western shores of the River Elbe, over the Tangermünde bridge. Our battalion will be towards the foremost part of the fighting, in the suburbs surrounding central Berlin. We are to stand our ground against any Soviet forces and defend the corridor as long as possible before retreating." Gerhard again paused, seeing a few hopeful smiles amongst the squad. "If there are any questions, please let me know."

There was a brief silence, then Leopold shifted as he raised his hand. "Sir, why are we retreating to the western shore of the Elbe? Haven't the Americans occupied that area already?"

Before Gerhard could answer, Hans spoke up. "General Wenck is surrendering us to the Americans, isn't he?" Gerhard nodded slowly, confirming the _obergefreiter_ 's statement. There was another pause as the squad took that in, weighing the options.

"I've fought alongside you since you transferred from the _Lüftwaffe_ , captain." Gunther said, standing up and walking over to Gerhard. "That was two and a half years ago. Since then, you've been one of the best leaders in this regiment that I know." The man stuck out his hand, offering it to his superior. "I'd be glad to follow you into battle again, Gerhard."

Gerhard stood and shook his friend's hand, relieved to have him with him on this endeavour. Once they parted, Gerhard looked around. "And the rest of you?"

Yet another pause followed, followed by slow nods from each of the members of the squad as they stood. "Very well, then. All of you, get packed up and ready to march. We leave at noon."

* * *

 **1157 hours**

Gerhard shifted as another gust of wind blew through the ranks of the remaining 12th Army. The rain had started coming down a little harder, and the sky had darkened from it's previous state only two hours ago.

"Look's like we're in for a fun walk, eh Gerhard?"

The hauptmann looked at Friedrich Böhm, one of the other officers present at the meeting with General Wenck. The man motioned for his sergeant to lead the squad on as he stopped to shake Gerhard's hand. The battle-worn officer's eyes were weary underneath his helmet, but he managed to put on a smile despite that.

"I'm pretty sure we had worse before, don't you think?" Gerhard responded, releasing the man's hand. Böhm nodded in agreement, shifting the weight of his assault rifle further up his shoulder.

"Well, I'd love to talk, but we were one of the squads to get a halftrack; I don't want to miss my ride."

"Good luck...see you on the other side."

"Only if I don't get there first."

With that, Gerhard's fellow officer began tracing the steps of his squad through the ranks, heading to the halftrack he was assigned to. Before he got too far, Gerhard yelled "Friedrich, don't forget, you still owe me a drink!"

 _"Ja!"_

Smiling, Gerhard turned back to his squad, who were clustered together in a group. Amelia motioned for him to join, and so he found himself a spot amongst the squad, uncovering his head and listening as Hans led the squad in a prayer. As the man finished, Gerhard kept his eyes closed for a few moments longer, asking for a few more things from whoever may have been listening.

 _'FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!'_

The sudden whistle and accompanying sound of engines starting and troops standing up brought Gerhard out of his prayers, causing him to open his eyes and replaced his helmet upon his head. The 12th Army, at least 15,000 men and women from all parts of Germany, from different branches, had answered the call of their general as he asked them, one more time, to charge into battle. As far as Gerhard knew, not a single soldier had deserted after hearing their mission.

 _"ZWEITER BATTALION, MÄRZ!"_

With that one command, Gerhard and his squad, along with all those around him, began marching towards Berlin, where the Soviet army and the gates of Hell awaited.

* * *

 **LTGEN. Omar Bradley**

 **Commander, U.S. First Army**

 **West of the Elbe River, Germany**

 **26 April 1945**

 **1103 hours**

"Sir!"

General Bradley looked up from his work as one of his staff members jogged into the command tent and up to his desk. "What is it, Lieutenant? I'm quite busy."

The young officer nodded as he tried to catch his breath, having run from the radio tent some distance away. Bradley sighed and held out his hand for whatever message the Lieutenant was carrying. The young man passed off the paper and went to sit down in a nearby chair, still panting.

"For Christ's sake, son, go get some water! Don't just sit there!" The young man nodded and stood, briskly walking away to wherever the nearest water source was. Bradley shook his head as he unfolded the telegram beginning to read it.

 _To Lt. General Omar Bradley, Commander of U.S. Forces Near the Elbe_

 _This is a request from General Wenck of the German 12th Army. I strongly wish to discuss a matter of great import with you regarding upcoming events, and would like to have a meeting with you at Tangermünde, preferably within a few days at most. I must reiterate that this is a matter of utmost importance and that I must have a meeting with you as soon as possible._

 _General Wenck, German 12th Army_

Below the general's name was his signature, along with a list of three addresses. Bradley assumed they were suggestions for places to meet.

Putting on his helmet, the lieutenant general walked out to his Jeep and jumped in, starting the engine. If this was an honest request, he was curious as to what it was the German general wanted.

* * *

 **Next chapter will see us back to the modern day for a bit, and then we will return to the embattled Berlin. Please, leave a review, and like and favourite if you'd like to see more!**

 **Thank you to everyone who provided an OC for the squad as well...I hope you are satisfied with their portrayal.**

 _ **Gefreiter**_ **Leopold Kesselschmied - Courtesy of E2Fan32110**

 _ **Gefreiter**_ **Nikolas Wulfe - Courtesy of CaptainAshe179**

 _ **Volkssturmmann**_ **Ella K. Krazer - Courtesy of delta2177 (I know I already mentioned you, but here's another one.)**

 ** _Gruppenfuhrer_ Amelia Belts - Courtesy of Commissar Darman**

 **Until next time, folks...hopefully not too far away! This is KTA334, signing off!**


	5. Chapter IV: Die Rettungsaktion

**Hello again folks! Sorry, but I forgot to mention that I would be spending two weeks on vacation (in Hawai'i, no less), getting some much needed R &R and spending some time with my family before spending my next twenty years at the whims of the United States government. I probably could have worked on HotR a little, but I was quite busy doing things such as ziplining and walking near active lava flows (Note: Lava is HOT!).**

 **I do hope you enjoy this chapter, and also hope you take the time to read the lengthy note at the end, which holds some important information. And if you want to bring anything up to me, feel free to PM me or say it in a review.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter IV:** _ **Die Rettungsaktion**_

" _Courage, above all things, is the first quality of a warrior."_

-Carl von Clausewitz

 **Maho Nishizumi**

 **Kuromorimine Girls' High School**

 **Abashiri, Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido**

 **14 November 2025**

 **1632 hours**

Maho sighed and leaned back in her chair, taking a break from her preparations for the upcoming practice tournament between Pravda and Kuromorimine. She'd already decided on a flag tank and some supporting vehicles, but there were still seven spots that were open.

As she spun around lazily in her seat, a knock on the door caused the young woman to jump slightly. She stood and walked over to the door, opening it to see Erika and Nicole standing patiently in the hallway. "Come in."

The two sub-commanders of Kuromorimine nodded and followed Maho back into her room, taking their seats as the Nishizumi heir grabbed some food and a bottle of water before returning to her desk. "Thank you for coming. Do you want anything?"

Both Erika and Nicole shook their heads, grabbing a couple of folders each. "What is it you needed help on?" Erika asked as she flipped through a few papers.

"I'm trying to figure out what other seven tanks we should take to the match." Maho replied. She was currently looking at a list of the Panthers, three of which were currently having engine troubles and wouldn't be available anyways.

"Have you thought about the Maus?" Nicole said. "That or some of the Jagdtigers?

"Too heavy." Maho stated as she looked through some of the tanks of the Second Panzertruppe. "Remember, last time, the Ferdinands and Jagdtigers kept getting bogged down, and it was hard enough to tow those out. If the Maus gets stuck…" She let the sentence hang in the air, somewhat emphasizing the point. Indeed, if the superheavy tank were to become stuck in deep snow, it might take days before they found a way to get the 188-ton tank free.

"What about some of the Jagdpanthers?" Erika questioned. "We should be able to put the winter tracks on in a few days, and they're mobile enough to reposition as needed."

Maho nodded in agreement. "Alright, get three of them sorted out. As for their escort, and we use some of your Panzer IVs Nicole?" The blonde nodded in the affirmative, giving Maho what she needed. "Thanks. I'll leave which ones you want up to you."

There was silence for quite some time as the three girls sorted through various papers, overlooking each tank's condition, comparing the crews' training scores, and making sure that Kuromorimine would be able to defeat Pravda swiftly and completely, as per the Nishizumi style.

Finally, the three top students of Kuromorimine set down their folders, having completed their task. Looking at the clock, Maho realised that it was getting to be fairly late...almost two hours had passed while the three of them were occupied on getting things set up. Even still, Maho had to get the lineup written down and sent to her mother for approval. For now, though, she was done.

"That was fun." Erika said as she ran a hand through her hair. She opened the water she had taken from Maho's fridge earlier, downing the rest of the bottle's contents before tossing it to the recycling. Nicole looked over the top of the pillow her face was buried in, eye raised as she looked at Erika with a face that said ' _That's fun to you?_ ' Maho smiled faintly at her friend's silent response as the sound of footsteps passed outside, going down the hall into whatever apartment the owner lived in.

"So…" Nicole started, sitting up straight again. "Have you been up there yet to survey?"

"Not yet." Maho replied. "The weather's been too poor for anything lately, but it should be cleared up by the day after tomorrow. I'll take the Tiger up to see how well it performs."

The other two nodded in understanding, both standing as Erika's watch alarm started beeping. "I have to go for dinner." the silver-haired girl said. "My father wants me back in ten minutes." Maho nodded as her sub-commander quickly left, grabbing her things and ducking out the door.

"I should go too." Nicole said, picking up her handbag. "Do you want any help up there on Sunday?"

"No, I'll have Yukiko, Hisayo, and the rest. I can't pilot a tank by myself, after all." Nicole grinned, nodding her head.

"Alright then." The blonde took a few steps towards the door, then stopped as she opened it and looked back at her commander. "Hey, Maho?"

"Mmm?"

"Don't dwell too much on the past while we're here, okay? Your mom might not be too happy if we lost even a practice match." With that, the girl turned and disappeared into the hall, the door shutting gently behind her, leaving Maho to think over what she was just told.

* * *

 **LTGEN. Omar Bradley**

 **Commander, U.S. First Army**

 **West of the Elbe River, Tangermünde, Germany**

 **Rendezvous Point for Special Meeting**

 **27 April 1945**

 **0831 hours**

General Bradley watched as a German _kubelwagen_ , followed closely by a halftrack, came down the road towards the position where he and his men were. He had decided to accept the German general's request, but dictated it on his terms, where he wanted. He could believe the Germans were being honest, to a degree, but it was still in his best interests to be wary.

In the immediate vicinity, two rifle squads were patiently waiting behind some sandbags. However, two more squads filled the buildings around the intersection of the small town, and a Sherman Jumbo was hidden just around the corner if the German general had laid any plans out.

After some time, the two enemy vehicles came to a halt on the other side of the intersection. The riflemen around him muttered as they got into a proper firing position, rifles clicking and blowback mechanisms sliding into position as the men steadied their weapons. From the German halftrack, a single squad of infantry disembarked, their weapons in hand but not held threateningly. Once the German soldiers had found their positions, the German general climbed out of his vehicle and slowly walked towards Bradley, hands raised to shoulder height. "General Wenck?"

"Yes sir." the man said, taking Bradley slightly aback. For such a young person, the general had attained quite a high rank. He gave the German officer a once-over, then continued. "What is it you wanted to ask of me, General?"

"Mr. Bradley…" Wenck began, relaxing and putting his hands to his sides. "What I am about to tell you may seem strange, but I need you to hear me out."

Bradley nodded, making a ' _go on_ ' gesture, curious to hear what his counterpart had to say. He doubted it was a request for the First Army to retreat back into Belgium and France.

For the next few minutes, the two generals spoke, Wenck relaying his plan to Bradley as the latter listened, intrigued, asking questions occasionally. All the while, the American general paid attention for any visual cues; however, it seemed the German was speaking the truth.

Once Wenck had ended, Bradley thought for a moment, then asked "So, you want my men to help you evacuate civilians as well? Did I get that part right?"

"Not directly, no." Wenck replied. "If the Soviets learn that the Allies were helping us in any way, even for a humanitarian effort, this war could go on for another six years...and to be honest, I cannot think of many that would advocate for such a thing. But, if you could meet those we rescue, provide them aid, shelter, and provisions, I would be immensely grateful to you. I can also promise you, the soldiers coming across that bridge will have no reason to attempt to engage you...they understand this mission in its entirety, and know that there is only one way it will end."

General Bradley nodded slowly, taking that in. It seemed to be a fair request, and the German general was right; if American forces were discovered east of the Elbe River, which was the boundary line the top brass had decided on with the Soviets, then there was no telling what might happen. "Alright, General. I will see what I can do. Good luck; you'll need every ounce of it you can get."

"Thank you very much, General Bradley."

With that, the two generals departed, one heading back to the safety of their lines, and the other to his troops as Berlin burned on the horizon.

* * *

 _ **Hauptmann**_ **Gerhard Köln**

 **German 12th Army, XX Corps**

 **2nd Inf. Bat., 3rd Inf. Reg.**

 **41.47 kilometres from the River Elbe**

 **Brandenburg, Berlin Outskirts, Germany**

 **27 April 1945**

 **0922 hours**

Gerhard looked around warily as Fourth Platoon crept through the streets. Behind him, Gunther and Hans were tracing his footsteps as the younger ones brought up the rear. Set up somewhere behind them, Leopold was watching their progress in concert with two other marksmen. The rain had stopped for now, allowing the German troops to hear everything they could pick up; admittedly, not very much.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Gerhard paused and turned to see Hans pointing at a building. Following his finger, the _hauptmann_ saw a young boy's face poking out of curtains behind a shattered window. Moments later, he was joined by someone Gerhard assumed to be the boy's mother.

"Ella!" Gerhard whispered forcefully. The girl nodded and went over to the two, speaking breifly with them. After a few minutes, they came outside and started heading back the way Fourth Platoon had come, the woman carrying only a small handbag and the boy a ragged stuffed animal. Gerhard watched them, then turned to Ella as she came back. "They didn't take anything with them?"

"She said that they didn't need much." the young girl replied, shifting the weight of her rifle. "They have everything they need." Gerhard nodded, then motioned for her to get back in line.

Continuing up the street, Gerhard put up his hand, stopping the platoon. The other squad leaders came up and Gerhard put his finger over his mouth, keeping them from making any noise. Listening carefully, their eyes widened in recognition as they picked up the sound of Russian voices around the corner.

"Get ready." Gerhard said. "Once we start this, we won't get a break until we break through the lines." The other officers nodded and dispersed, relaying the statement to their squads. The sound of bolts slamming shut and magazines sliding in and out of automatic weapons filled the air briefly as the platoon of German troops checked their ammo levels. Once everyone was ready, Gerhard motioned for Fourth Platoon to begin the fight.

* * *

 **Alva Weber**

 **Brandenburg, Berlin Outskirts, Germany**

 **27 April 1945**

 **0938 hours**

Alva sighed as she sat at the table, already finished with her meagre meal. Next to her, her younger brother picked at his plate, working on the stale bread Alva had scavenged from some soldiers' corpses. At the other end of the table, her mother was knitting a blanket, having forgone her portion in order to allow her children to eat. "Mama, what are we going to do?"

The older woman paused in her work, looking up with weary eyes at her daughter. The stress of the past weeks was poorly hidden, showing the hardship they'd gone through. "What do you want to do, Alva?" she said. "We can't go anywhere; the Soviets will shoot us if they see us on the street. That or worse."

Alva watched as her mother returned to her blanket, thinking about what she had said. Her brother pushed his now-empty plate away, standing up and going into his room. Alva almost followed him, but instead went over to the radio and turned it on, scanning the waves for any sort of information.

' _Pop-pop-pop-pop!'_

" _Was zum...?_ " Alva muttered, going to the window. As far as she knew, the Soviets had taken over this part of the city completely, and combat was non-existent here. After all, why would the army come back to Berlin when they were already in the relative safety of the far outskirts?

Suddenly, a burst of machine gun fire sounded from down the street, followed by a stream of smaller weapons firing. Alva listened, shocked, as the sounds of heavy fighting began to pick up once more. A few moments later, her mother joined her by the window, listening. The fighting was growing closer, close enough to where the pair could make out the yelling of both Russian and German soldiers as they gave commands. "Mama, do you think…"

The question faltered as Red Army troops suddenly appeared around the corner, running from whatever had engaged them. Right behind them, the forms of Wehrmacht troops appeared, firing their weapons at the retreating enemy troops. For the first time in a long time, Alva saw a smile, however small, cross her mother's face.

"They came back."

* * *

 _ **Hauptmann**_ **Gerhard Köln**

 **German 12th Army, XX Corps**

 **2nd Inf. Bat., 3rd Inf. Reg.**

 **42 kilometres from the River Elbe**

 **Brandenburg, Berlin Outskirts, Germany**

 **27 April 1945**

 **0941 hours**

"Move up!"

Hans and Ella darted across the street as Gunther, Amelia, Gerhard, and Nikolas laid down covering fire, suppressing the DShK machine gun that was tearing apart their cover. As the gunner popped his head back up to continue firing, a sudden shot came in from above, followed by another, killing the Soviet soldier as he tried to continue his efforts.

Gerhard ducked down into cover, reloading his magazine as he looked up at where the snipers were hidden, flashing a thumbs-up. Looking over the top of the pile of rubble he and Gunther were sheltering behind, the _hauptmann_ saw that the Soviets were finally retreating, heading back to their lines. Taking the radio headset from Gunther, Gerhard got on the radio to command. 'Headquarters, the Rathenower-Landstraße is clear of enemy troops. Fourth Platoon is moving on to secure the Kleingartensparte at Point 13. Will report when complete."

" _Understood. Good luck, Köln_."

Gerhard confirmed and returned the headset to its position on the radio. The first part of the breakthrough was going well, it seemed. He could only hope that the second part would go just as well...and as long as they kept going, it should catch the weak flank of the Soviets off-guard.

"Fourth Platoon! Move out! For the Fatherland!"

The soldiers rallied on the battle cry and began marching down the street again, heading towards the centre of Brandenburg as the Twelfth Army began its final battle.

* * *

 **Sorry about this one being short folks. I wanted to get you some content before I overstayed my welcome again, and I hope this will satisfy you.**

 **I do feel the need (and was prompted by a reader, who is in a similar situation as me) to state that this may be the last chapter of Heart of the Reich for some time, as I ship out to boot camp this month, then must follow up with A and C school, during which time I will be focusing on my training for the military (obviously). That said, I will push myself to try and get one more chapter out before I ship.**

 **I do plan to take what limited time I have to do some typing, and once I get to my first duty station, I'm sure I can take some time (if I get any) while on deployment to continue writing. Please, be patient with me as I transition into the military...I do not plan to abandon this story.**


	6. Chapter 5: Breaking the Lines

**Hello, my incredibly faithful (or patient) readers! I promised I would resume work on HotR when I could, and here it is. Finally getting back into the swing of things, as you will note by the time you finish reading this. Hopefully, a few months away from the keyboard haven't dulled my skills as a writer, so do let me know what you think!**

* * *

 **Chapter V: Breaking the Lines**

" _Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand beside you, even unto death."_

-Sun Tzu

 _ **Hauptmann**_ **Gerhard Köln**

 **German 12th Army, XX Corps**

 **2nd Inf. Bat., 3rd Inf. Reg.**

 **65 Kilometres From the River Elbe**

 **Wustermark, Berlin Outskirts, Germany**

 **28 April 1945**

 **1251 hours**

"Get a Panzerfaust up here!"

"They're pinned down behind us!"

Gerhard looked back in the direction Fourth Platoon had come, where the tip of a Panzerfaust rocket could be seen poking above the rubble the soldier was hiding behind. As he watched, a shower of rocks hit Gerhard, forcing him to duck back down as the T-34/85 advancing on their position attempted to put a few rounds through his skull. "Ella!"

The young girl simply shook her head, implying that she either was out of anti-tank grenades or that she simply didn't bring any. The _hauptmann_ checked his gear again, ensuring he didn't have any himself, then looked to Hans and Nikolas, both of whom were too busy taking potshots at the Soviets advancing with the tank to notice him. All he could do was sit and listen to the sound of tank treads slowly getting closer, the measured _drt-rt-rt-rt_ of the Soviet DT machine gun sounding impending death for Gerhard and his squad.

Suddenly, shouts of alarm in Russian caught the _hauptmann_ 's ears, encouraging him to look over the top of the pile of dirt he was hiding behind. To his relief, a squad of fellow Wehrmacht troops had appeared from a side street, drawing away the attention of the Soviet soldiers and, more importantly, the T-34. "Fourth Platoon, _angriff!_ "

The loud report of Nikolas's MG34 filled Gerhard's ears as Gerhard stood and began laying fire down on the Soviets. From behind them, the soldier with the Panzerfaust had taken the opportunity to move up, unfortunately catching the attention of about half of the troops escorting the tank. Undeterred, the man crept closer as Gerhard and his squad picked off the Soviets trying to kill him.

A sudden blast deafened Gerhard, momentarily blinding him as dust filled the air; the crew of the Soviet medium, apparently panicked, had fired a round of high explosive at the reinforcements, causing part of the building next to them to crumble and block them off. It's flank secured, the turret of the tank began to traverse back to Gerhard's squad. They had only seconds before they would have to dive back into cover, which would allow the remaining Soviet infantry to recover from being suppressed. "Now!"

The soldier with the anti-tank rocket stood, the Panzerfaust already on his shoulder. Checking behind him to ensure no one was in the backblast, he lined up the rocket and launched.

The rocket punched through the frontal plate of the T-34's armor, leaving a visible hole in the iron before the tank erupted, the turret blasting off and crushing some of the infantry. The others, likely demoralized by the detonation of their main attacking power and the fate of their comrades, began to run for the nearest safety as Fourth Platoon gathered around Gerhard, followed shortly by the survivors of Sixth Platoon as they climbed over the building the Soviets had dropped on them.

Gerhard pulled out his map, looking at the route he had marked only days ago, when he had received the orders from General Wenck to push back into Berlin. In only two days, the remnants of the German 12th Army had fought, tooth and nail, across nearly 60 kilometres of Germany, taking and securing strategic locations that would open a path from the heart of Berlin to the Tangermünde Bridge, where the Americans would, hopefully, be waiting to accept any desperate souls that came across the bridge. Now, only a few blocks were left here in Wustermark before the Soviet lines were shattered and the evacuation could begin.

"Gerhard?"

The _hauptmann_ looked up to see his squad watching him with the others. Rolling up the map, he took a quick head count; it appeared there were about 40 or so troops waiting for orders. He sighed, dropping the nearly empty clip from his weapon and sliding a new one into the weapon. "We continue on. Hotel Wustermark is just ahead, and from there we can take the bridge across the canal and link up with 4th Battalion." Gerhard glanced at the wreck of the Soviet tank, which had, for the most part, stopped burning and was simply smoking, derelict. "Gustav, take your squad, flank around to the north. 6th Platoon, I want you to take Potsdamer Allee while we push up Brandenburgerstraße. We all meet on the east side of the hotel and then finish with a push to the bridge. Understood?"

" _Jawohl!_ "

Gerhard nodded at the eagerness of those he commanded. "Very well. _Für das Väterlande!_

The call was returned as the assigned units broke off to commit to the final attack. Looking to his own, Gerhard grinned. "Let's finish this."

* * *

 **Alva Weber**

 **Near Zollchow, Germany**

 **1320 hours**

Alva sighed as she stopped, looking around at the forests around her and her family. Once the soldiers had swept through Brandenburg, the few that remained had urged the citizens to leave as soon as possible...in light of that, her mother had Alva and her brother pack a case of their dearest things, and they set out with the rest of the population for Tangermünde, following the signs that still remained.

As they sat there, an elderly man, at least 60, hobbled along, carrying nothing but a small briefcase in his left hand and leaning on his cane in the other. Further behind, a family of four was walking along with literally nothing in their hands, bringing nothing but the clothes on their back; it gave Alva a start as she realized that, compared to some, her family was lucky.

A low whine shook the girl out of her thoughts, the sound getting louder and louder with every second. Shouts of alarm began to sound as refugees began to get off the road, hiding amongst the trees.

"Alva!"

Before she could turn to even face her mother, the young girl was tackled to the ground as two fighter planes roared overhead, so low they rustled the treetops. The sound of the aircraft's engines faded slightly before they increased in pitch, which must've meant they were banking around.

The older man who had covered her helped the young girl get up, apologizing as they joined the others amongst the trees, all of whom were watching the aircraft.

"Americans?"

" _Ja,_ I think so."

Alva watched as the two pilots finished their turn, coming back for another pass. As they buzzed overhead, the lead pilot waggled his wings before the two pilots shot off into the clouds, heading back to where they had appeared from.

' _Good to know we're getting closer to salvation._ '

* * *

 _ **Hauptmann**_ **Gerhard Köln**

 **German 12th Army, XX Corps**

 **2nd Inf. Bat., 3rd Inf. Reg.**

 **67 Kilometres From the River Elbe**

 **Wustermark, Berlin Outskirts, Germany**

 **1338 hours**

" _Otstupat'! Slishkom mnogo!_ "

Gerhard fired as two Soviet troops broke cover from behind the sandbags they were using, bringing one down before the DShK on the near side of the bridge reloaded and began firing at him. The gunner only got off a few rounds, however, before one, then two grenades detonated in the nest, killing him and most likely wrecking the weapon.

" _Los!_ "

The combined forces of Fourth and Sixth Platoons, as well as a few others who had linked up with Gerhard's squad, came out of their cover and began the push on the Wustermark Bridge, slowly moving forward and firing.

To the _hauptmann_ 's left, Nikolas had pushed up with Amelia to a low wall right on the bridge. Together, the two began laying fire down on the Soviet troops defending the far side of the bridge and helping the German troops push up with near-impunity.

"Fourth Platoon, on me!" Gerhard shouted as he sprinted onto the bridge, taking cover behind the wreck of a BMW 327. Looking behind him, he saw Ella, Hans, and Gunther pushing up behind him as Nikolas's MG34 continued to keep the heads of the Soviets down. Further back, Gerhard saw a mortar team setting up in a shell crater. Moments later, the distinct ' _Wump!'_ of a mortar round discharging sounded, followed by an explosion.

Peeking up from his spot, Gerhard saw the Soviets were still refusing to retreat, despite the fact that they seemed hopelessly outmatched here. He fired off a few rounds, then ducked back into cover to check his equipment.

"They know that they have to hold here, or else Zhukov's going to have a massive breach in his lines." Hans said, having joined his squad leader only a few moments ago. The two went over their stock as the mortar continued to shell the Soviets, who, as the _obergefreiter_ had mentioned, seemed reluctant to leave their positions.

Finally, Gerhard found what he was looking for. He popped the fuse on the _Nebelhandgranate_ and tossed it over the roof of the BMW, waiting a few moments to let the smoke grenade take effect. Then, once the cloud was satisfactory, the _hauptmann_ stood, waving to all of the German troops to the rear. " _Zweiter Bataillon, ladung!_ "

A loud cry went up from the Wehrmacht troops as they charged into the disoriented Soviet defenses. Gerhard and Hans stayed side by side, firing at will as they advanced. The Soviets began to panic, their shouts growing louder with each passing second as the smoke from the grenade began to clear. As it dissipated, Gerhard saw the Soviets running from the bridge, back to wherever the nearest outpost was.

"Second Battalion! Hold your fire! We've done it!"

A cheer went up from the troops as Gerhard, a smile on his face in light of their victory, found Gunther, who was shaking hands with the men from Third Squad. Upon noticing the _hauptmann_ approaching him, he disengaged from the clamor and walked over to Gerhard. "Good work, Gerhard. The others are glad to have you with us."

Gerhard sighed, looking down the street. "I feel the worst is yet to come, Gunther." The soldier set down his rifle and stretched, the bones in his back cracking as he did so. "Get on the radio to command, let them know the Soviet lines are broken. Let's get this evacuation underway."

" _Jawohl!_ "

The men and women of Second Battalion dispersed to begin setting up defenses as the storm clouds that had been menacing Berlin finally let loose and rain began to fall, putting a damper on the high spirits of the German troops.

* * *

 _ **General der Panzer**_ **Walther Wenck**

 **Commander, German 12th Army**

 **XX Corps**

 **2 Kilometers From the River Elbe**

 **E of Tangermünde River Bridge**

 **1355 hours**

"General Wenck, there's a radio transmission coming through for you from Second Battalion."

The general looked up from his work to see one of his aides standing in the doorway. "Very well. I'll be there promptly."

The young boy nodded and retired from Wenck's presence, presumably returning to the radio station next door. Standing, Wenck took a brief moment to somewhat organize the papers on his desk before leaving, walking the few paces down the hall to where the radio station had been set up. Entering, he walked to where the aide was holding out a radio set, then put it on. "This is General Wenck; what is your status, over?"

" _This is Obergefreiter Gunther Schneider of Second Battalion, General. We have taken the Wustermark Bridge and have opened the corridor. Hauptmann Köln is organizing a defense of the bridge and has requested a resupply, over._ "

' _Mein Gott; they managed it._ ' Wenck thought, containing his sigh of relief. "Well done to all of you _obergefreiter._ Third Battalion will relieve you in a few hours. In the meantime, prepare a defense and await your resupply. Expect the Soviets to attack at any time, over."

" _Understood General. Second Battalion, out._ "

General Wenck handed back the handset and looked at the staff in the room, who were looking at him expectantly. "We've broken through the Soviet lines, gentlemen. Begin the appropriate procedures."

* * *

 _ **Gefreiter**_ **Rudolf Hess**

 **Former German 9th Army**

 **Stakken**

 **15.8 Kilometres From the Reichstag**

 **1402 hours**

Rudolf sighed as he scraped the last portions of his meal out of the tin can they came in. He nodded his thanks to the young girl and her mother, who had provided the meal to his squad. He looked around the small apartment, in which the _frau_ had offered him a night's rest. Tempted though he was to gain a reprieve from the mud outside, especially as it had begun to rain, Rudolf had declined, not wanting to impose. Besides, there was no telling when the next Soviet attack would be.

As the older woman stood and began to pick up the dinnerware, the radio started crackling, a voice making it through the waves. Interest piqued, he went into the next room where the radio was, curious as to what station was still able to play any sort of music.

" _Are we on?"_

" _Ja, herr."_

There was a pause, wherein Rudolf heard the clearing of a throat. Behind him, the _frau_ and her daughter walked into the room, the former peering at the radio, listening intently.

" _Troops and civilians of Germany; this is General Wenck of the Twelfth Army. We have opened up a corridor from the Wustermark bridge to Tangermünde. If you are able to, evacuate Berlin immediately. Repeat, an escape corridor has opened up from Berlin to Tangermünde across the Wustermark bridge. Evacuate Berlin immediately. To the troops of the Ninth Army; General Theodor Busse has given you permission to fall back and escape from the city. Hurry up, we are waiting for you!"_

* * *

 _ **Marshal**_ **Ivan Konev**

 **Commander, 1st Ukrainian Front**

 **1st Ukrainian Front HQ, Potsdam**

 **1409 hours**

"Marshal Konev!"

"What?!" the man said, looking up to see a lieutenant walking briskly towards him, a paper in his hand. Turning from his map, Ivan met the junior officer, who handed him the paper; two pieces, actually. "What are these?"

"One is a report from the unit that was patrolling the area around the Wustermark bridge. The second is a transcript of a public broadcast that went out over the radio only a few minutes ago, which confirms the first report, sir."

The marshal read both reports carefully, eyebrows raising as he realized what had transpired. When the initial reports came in about a German counterattack from the west, he had doubts it was anything of import. Now though…

"Thank you lieutenant. Instruct the radio operators to put out a notice regarding the corridor. Have units begin mobilizing immediately; not one single German troop or civilian will escape this city." Marshal Konev turned on his heel and began to retreat to his office. "I must call Grand Marshal Zhukov and inform him of this. Be quick about your job lieutenant!"

" _Da komandir!_ "

* * *

 **Maho Nishizumi**

 **Kuromorimine Girls' High School**

 **Abashiri, Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido**

 **16 November 2025**

 **0933 hours**

Maho grunted as the Tiger hit a small rise in the terrain, the 60-ton tank getting a small amount of airtime before crashing back down into the snow, leaving a white plume in the air that obscured Maho's vision momentarily. "Yukiko, please try _not_ to throw the tracks right now. I don't want to get stuck in this weather."

"Loosen up Maho." the young girl said. "Have some fun every now and then."

Maho simply sighed and shook her head. With the interior of the tank getting a little too warm as the Maybach struggled to push the tank out of the deep snow it landed in, Maho popped the turret hatch open and surveyed the area as best she could. Contrary to what the weather reports had said, the poor weather failed to relent, instead only pausing for about twelve hours or so; just enough time to make her feel it was safe to bring the Tiger out for surveying.

' _This storm feels way too familiar_.' she thought as the wind gusted into her face, nearly taking her garrison cover off into the snow. Somewhere above her, thunder rumbled. Yes, this reminded her too well of the storm that had happened a year ago. ' _The same one that brought Gerhard here._ '

At that thought, she remembered the German pilot, and the promise he had made to her right before he had gotten into the German scout plane. The memory pained her, even more so when she thought about the file Erika had given her, stating that he had been killed in the fighting around Berlin. ' _Still on my mind, a year later.'_

"Maho!"

The dark-haired young woman was brought out of her thoughts as Niko Ueno, the new loader for the Tiger, tapped her leg. "What is it?"

"Yukiko wanted to see if you'd close the hatch. She doesn't feel particularly safe with it open and a thunderstorm outside."

Maho blinked, then nodded. Ducking back into the turret, Maho closed the hatch, securing it into place as Niko returned to her spot. Reduced to looking outside through the armored glass in the cupola, Maho sat back against the bulkhead of the tank, relaxing for a moment.

Suddenly, a massive boom of thunder sounded immediately above the Tiger, shaking the cabin and causing panic inside it. The wind picked up, blowing the snow up and obscuring the German heavy tank from view. Then, as quickly as it had started, the wind died back down, leaving no trace of the Tiger tank or its crew.

* * *

 **So, I will be kicking off the next arc in the next chapter! Since it's a little obvious, I'll say it now: how do you think Maho and her crew will fare in 1945 Berlin?**

 **In other news, I am working on at least one 'OVA' of sorts for Cold Steel, based off something that y'all said you were sad to see not appear in the story. In addition, I am getting to the most difficult parts of my training, so please be patient if I can't upload too often; as promised, I will not abandon this story unless I fall dead. And then I'll just go to the afterlife supermarket and buy another laptop and continue my work.**

 **Please, let me know how you think! Until next time, KTA334, signing off. Hooyah!**


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